Jacques m



. PERLMAN.

VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-4,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- IIVVE/VTOH WT FFIZ MUZ A TTOR/VEV J24 cques J. M. PERLMAN. VEHICLE BODY.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.4, I918.

Patented June 17, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 1 MEMO/e Jtyaes W 7 6717726272 Br %m;d f ATTORNEY JACQUES M. PERLMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-BODY.

aoaeac.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 111mg 11'? 11919,

Application filed December 4, 1918. Serial No. 265,188.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, JACQUES M. PERLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an' embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the car with top, back and sides closed;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the top partly in section; I

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but with the sides open;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary view showing the top telescoped and nested in a pocket formed in the rear of the body;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating a latch for holding the top in position when the sides of the car are open;

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 77 of Fi 6.

l teferring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the body of the-car is of the usual touring type without the collapsible top usually provided with such cars. The back of the body is provided with a pocket A in the rear of of the back seat and the top and upward extension of the back are arranged to fold and be lowered into this pocket when not in use.

In this pocket are carried four members, a back extension B, a rear top C, an intermediate top D and a front top E. These parts are shown as of sheet metal. They may also be made of other material such as cloth or. leather in metal or wood frames. The back extension B is preferably provided with a window F of glass or other transparent material. The back extension B slides up and down in the rear pocket A. When the top is lowered into the pocket A the latter is closed at the top by the overhanging hood portion B as shown in Fig. 4. When the top is to be put up, the back extension B is lifted-.and the parts carried thereby are moved upward, the back B on which they are mounted sliding within and being guided by the walls of the pocket A.

The back section B carrles one or more spring latches such as B which are arranged to hold the top section in its raised position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The latches are each provided with afinger piece b by which they may be ithdrawn when the top section is to be lowered. The rear top C is hinged at 0 to the side walls of the top section B. The side portions of this section are in the form of downwardly and inwardly extending flanges C shown in Figs. 1 and 2 forming channels G into which the intermediate section D is adapted to telescope when the top is collapsed. The side portions of the intermediate section D are in the form of similar flanges D forming channels D for the reception of the front section E. The top is supported in front on the wind shield for example, by means of a pin G passing through registering openings in the ears 9 and e secured respectively to the wind shield and the front top section E. An intermediate support H carried on a horizontal pivot 71; is adapted to be swung upwardly to support the top. This support is provided with a sliding bolt H having a holding pin h secured to the upper end thereof and a finger piece 71? passing through a slot b in the upright H, said finger piece being suitably fastened to the bolt H and being arranged to turn the 'bolt as well as to move it lengthwise. The flange D is provided with an extension D having an opening at of the contour shown in Fig. 5. When it is desired to fasten the top section to the upright H the bolt H is turned so that its holding pin h will pass through the radial extensions d in the aperture d, the bolt is thenmoved upwardly through the aperture d and given approximately a quarter turn thus bringing the holding pin into position to securely lock the flange D to the upright H as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The front section E is provided with an extension E (Fig. 3) in which is also formed an opening similar to the opening front section E is telescoped into the inter tion C. A spring latch 0 secured to the underside of the rear section C is adapted to retain all of the nested sections in place. The back section B is then slightly raised and the section C swung about its pivot 0 thus bringing the top and back sections into position in which they may be readily dropped into the pocket A.

The back extension and top, above described, may be used without other closingmeans in place of the folding tops now generally used with touring cars and will serve for considerable protection especially against sun. And in this case it may be used to extend, if desired, only over the rear portion of the car. For completely closing the car or rear part thereof I propose to use also side extensionsin combination with the top and back extensions above described.

The rear doors J are made hollow and carry windows K which may slide up until their top edges engage the underside of the telescoping top. The top of the opening in each of these doors is covered in fair weather by a member L pivoted at one end adapted to swing upward to the full. line position shown in Fig. 1 and having its inner edge grooved to receive the window K in its ele vated position. This arrangement of window and cover is common and 'need not be further disclosed in detail.

In order to support the opposite edge of the window provide a slmilar grooved member consisting of two parts M and N. The lower part M is hinged at a point within the well of the door; the upper part is hinged to the lower so that they may be folded and turned down to a position below the member L as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Windows 0 of the same sort, and operating with the same covering and supporting devices, are provided for the front doors P.

Between the doors P and J andin the rear of the tonneau I provide sliding windows Q and R which are guided in folding sup ports 0 and 0 and r and T which are similar in construction and operation to the supports L, M and N already described.

In the embodiment of the invention shown I inclose the small space between the front of the doors 0 and the slanting wind shield S by means of a small triangular window ieoeeee T secured to the guide 0 of the door by means of spring hinges 0 l i hen the Windows 0 are opened the support 0 and the small window T may be folded down by first swinging the window T inwardly on its hinges 0 and then swinging the support 0* downwardly, it being understood that the window-well in the door is of sufficient width to receive both the window T (which is of very thin construction) and the window guide 0 A partition or window U is arranged to be lowered into a pocket V in the rear of the front seat, or to be raised until the upper edge engages under the top, to separate the driver from the passengers, the various fastening and lifting means which common for windows that lower into the doors being also applicable to this window The well for the window U in the embodiment illustrated is covered, when the vehicle is used as an open touring car, by swinging the supports H at each side of the car downwardly to their horizontal position thus forming a neat finish.

With the arrangement described we can close the entire rear portion of the car and shut it OK from the drivers seat, thus making what is commonly called a town. car or by additionally closing the sides and top over the front half We can make it into a limousine. Or if the entire length of the sides and top be closed, the transverse partition between the front and rear may be loweredto make a sedan. Or, leaving the sides down we can provide a touring car either with the top up or down as may be desired.

Instead of the top and back extension shown I may use the ordinary flexible top 1 which swings back and generall rests on the rear of the car; combining this with the side closing devices illustrated.

Though I have described with great par ticularity in detail a certain specific embodii ment of the invention, yet it is not to be un derstood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the particular embodiment disclosed, various modifications thereof in detail and in the arrangement of the parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention as defined in the following claim.

What I claim is A vehicle body having a back extension and a top in a plurality of sections, the rear section comprising side portions and an intermediate portion extending across between side portions so that said second section may be sl d back on said rear section and swung down with it, said back extension having its upper portion bent forward so as to sub- 5 stantially cover said top when collapsed and swung down, and a pocket into which said back extension and collapsed top can be lowered and the width of which is practically filled by said bent forward portlon of the back extension. 10 In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name. I 

